Draft-gear apparatus



July 12, 1927, 1,635,409

- S. HANSSON l DRAFT GEAR APPARATUS Filed one, 1925 'Y '2 sheets-sheet 2 3, I I man i I 7 L x f2 INVENTOR 14o Y x 'the usual springs and other shock'absorbing Patented July 12, 1927. y

VsoitEN HANssoN, or' BUTLER; l1?ENNsYLviiN'1.4,AssicfNoRiiozroHN HQLLMAM, C f TRUSTEE or BUTLEit; PENNSYLVANIA. if

Application lflled. October My ,invention `relates ltofdraft gear apand particularly to ameans for con-f necting afdraw bar H yoke rwith 4a .coupler .y

' f f that the head members 14 andf'l'iwillthave interlocking, engagement' 'withyone anothery and-beheld against relative movement, thus `60 The head members 14 and 15 are also pro-v paratus,

One object of my invention is to provide an arrangement 'whereby the coupler may have ivotal movement with respect to -the draw llaar yoke, as when Va train is passing around a curve, or to permit the coupler parts to accommodate themselves to abnormal positions, such as misalignment through Vlineveness of road-bed, etc.

Another object of my invention is to simplify and improve-generally the structure and operation of draft gear apparatus.

Some of thel forms which my invention may take arev vshow n in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a view, partially in plan and partially in section, vof a portion of a' draft gea'r structure embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a viewshowing a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1, removed -from the draft sills; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a'. view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of connection between the yoke head and the draw bar yoke, and Fig.' 6 is a view Showing still another modication. y Y

This invention constitutes an. improve- -ment upon that disclosed inl my Patent No.

1,556,219, issued October 6, 1925.

The apparatus is sh,l wn as applied to draft sill members 7 that may be o-f any vdesired form, and are provided with rear stop lugs 8 and front stop lugs 9 against which foli vlower blocks 10 and 11, respectively, seat.

follower blocks 10 and 11 extend yoke 12 that may support The through a forged elements (not shown). Y s

The leg portions ofthe yoke 12 are preferably enlarged attheirforward ends, for

greater strengthand are provided with cir-` ber 14 is provided with a pair oflugs 16 of generallyl semi-circularv form, as shown mo-re clearly in Fig. 2, and the head'member 15 is provided with'a'pair of semicircular lugs 17.

The

lugs 16 and 17 extend through the cir- "DRAFT-'GEAR .9.'rriiiiii'riius.

mentary offset-portions asfindicated at 18,'so

strengthening and supporting one another.

vided with openings 19 through which a draw bar key 20 may extend` as shown in Fig.,1, to effect a connection between a draw t v bar or coupler shank 22 and the yoke head, in somewhat the usual manner.

The outer endsof the lugs .16 `and 17 are upset or peened over as kshown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 and, by reason of thev combined circular contour off'each pair of lugs 16-17, .the head 14--15 may .rotate about the vertical axis" thus afforded, as indicated in Fig. 1, without moving the yoke '12. This arrangement is particularly 'use-l ful when a train of'cars is passing around a curve, since the couplers are then moved from their normal positions-'in alignment with the longitudinalv center lines .of the cars. Were the coupler rigidly connected to the draw bar yoke, binding would sometimes take place, resulting inV damage to` cular openings inthe yoke 12fvr'andare? i y parts of the draft gear structure or interf fering with the proper functioning of the cushioning elements of the draft gear.

,It will be understood that the ends of theVV projections 16 and 17 aire not upset soy tight'- ly against the sides ofthe yoke 12'as 'tointerfere with 1 the swiveling movement of j the members 14 and 15. v

In Fig. 5 I have shown a'structure wherein yoke head'meinbers 14 and 15a, which cor-` respond to the members 14 and1'5 of Fig. 3,

are modified by having shoulder portions 2l formed thereon. Collars 22a are placed upon the shoulder portions 21 and theouter ends la'and. 1"(a of the members 14a"and.15e

upset against the collars. l portions of the collars 22av seatvwithin circu'lar'recesses within the legs 'of the yoke 12, so `that the couplerhead may'havef'swiveling movement in the yoke.

In Fig. 6 still another formr lof swivel` The peripheral ioo `mounting is shown, wherein a collar v23 surrounds the extensionsof the head members 14b and 15*J and is held in place thereonby los upsetting of the extensions 16? and-17?.A The lf' f i offheadi members havingv 'semicircular por-.; vtions.:extending through said openings, and"v collar 23, asin the case of coilar 22 of Fig.

- 5, has bearing engagement with the sideskof the yoke 12.,

' I claim as my invention.: f

' 1. Draft gear structure comprising a yoke,

' a pair 4ofrhead members disposed between y the "forward end'pertionsjof said yoke; 2L pivotal connectio-nbetween said headrme'mbers and said yoke, and means ionfconneot-f,

ing a draw bar to said head members.

2. Draft gearrstructureoomprisinga yoke having circular'v openings in itsends, a .palr

means for. connecting 'a draw-barl to. said head1'.members; f

'3i @raft- 'ge-ar apparatus.v ,comprising-S yoke, twoheadmembensrdisposed between` the legs of said yoke and having interlocki ing engagement with one another, Vmeans said yoke, (andi means fonoonnecting a draw baryoke to said members.

Ayokeot rigging and dislike, Y Y

ySide `mem`bers ea'clihprovided with a recess,

comprising body?, portion' haying spaced a, head portion composed of two sections disposed. between said side members, and ings fzonboth endsgof section, both lugsonY adjacent ends of the sections extending into the recessI Whi'chfis adjaeen-tftheretoa havingpivotakimoyement'therein A ,Im testimony Wheneof'; Ii, theY said vSonn-Nw` V HANssoN, have hereunto set'myv hand.

" Ysoinni 

